Something in the Rain
by Ashecroft
Summary: A fateful encounter with Salamander leads a young man to seek out joining Fiore's number one guild. Please do leave a review, as this is my first fanfiction. I do not own the manga, characters, etc. OCxJuvia.
1. Ocean Mammoth

**Author's Note: Welcome to my first Fanfiction, set in the world of Fairy Tail! This is my first attempt to do something much more story based, having done one offs up until now but due to an idea that was, for me, too good to pass up I wanted to write it and begin sharing it here, all involving a character of my own making involved in the Fairy Tail world. Thank you for viewing my first chapter, and please do leave me a review so I can get your thoughts and opinions as I continue to work to making as good a story as I'm able. Anyway, please do enjoy the first chapter of "Something in the Rain".**

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It was getting dangerous. People from the town were getting too close, too curious about why there was fighting in the streets. For all he knew his opponent could try to turn the tide of the fight and use them as shields, or even throw attacks their way to try and escape, but he couldn't let Fishbones know that that was what he expected. One bad read and he could personally endanger their lives. He needed to get the man away.

Yet, as the other part of him knew would happen, Fishbones was more than happy to talk big. Standing on the opposite roof from him, the blue haired dark wizard pressed his hands to his hips and guffawed loudly. "Frozen in fright at long last huh Blackwell? It's taken long enough to get you to see my power~!" he said loudly, inwardly making Hayden groan. He was far from powerful, by far one of the weaker members of Ocean Mammoth he had faced, but with the battlefield he'd chosen it offered so many risks. The heights from having to fight on a rooftop didn't help either.

"Sure, let's go with that. Though when you say that, I haven't yet seen you land a single hit on me so I don't think it's fright. I think it's more..." Hayden played about with his hands, making it out that he was thinking out the right word, though with a cheeky smirk he added "...Disappointment."

Fishbones grit his teeth angrily and stamped his feet, cracking the roof tiles beneath him. "Don't call me disappointing you little freak! You're the one that barged in on Ocean Mammoth and expected to take us down! You're not one to talk!"

"Think of it like sampling a good restaurant. You're like appetizers, not a good enough meal to fill me up nor do I have to put in the effort. I could take you down in one hit if I wanted, but you have information I need. So, how about this Fishface, you tell me where your boss scampered off with his tail tucked between those legs of his, and I'll consider taking you down in two hits."

"It's Fishbones you dolt! Fishbones!" he shrieked, his already large mouth opening wider in rage, "You cocky little shit, I'll show you the power you're against! I, Fishbones of Ocean Mammoth, will destroy you and your little crusade! Tuna Bomber!"

Flexing the metal claws of his gloves, he prepared for the attack. Fishbones raised his hands and summoned a torrent of bubbles to appear, forcing them together to take shape into a massive fish. A loud pop shook the rooftops and the bubble tuna took form into an actual tuna, though its eyes displaying a countdown in seconds. He had to disarm it before it hit touched anything, the explosion from a spell that size likely to injure onlookers. He had to get the cut right first time.

"Take this you insufferable child!" Fishbones cried out as he lobbed the tuna into the air, Hayden's eyes instantly following it. Crouching a little, Hayden took the risk and leapt, claws outstretched and ready to swipe. He had to get it right first time, no exceptions. A single miss, one inch off point and that tuna would explode hurting who knows how many. He had to do it, he needed to.

His claws sunk into the surprisingly soft flesh, ripping through with ease. The claws touched the magical seal hidden within the tuna head and with a sudden sharp stab, Hayden shattered the seal and made the tuna unstable.

Landing with a hard enough thud on Fishbones's roof to further damage the rooftiles, he smiled as the tuna exploded on its way to the ground. "So... what was that about destroying me? Right now it's not looking too good for you."

"Damnit you stu-" the wizard's speech was stopped short with a strong strike to the jaw followed by the telltale crunch of a bone snapping. He cried out in agony, but Hayden wasn't done. He grabbed the wizard's collar and pulled him forwards, right into the second punch that sent him flying.

"It's a shame that you had to go down so quick but I don't have time for weaklings like you." Hayden chuckled with a smirk, watching with amusement as Fishbones soared through the sky and down into the streets below with a crunch. Turning to the crowd that had watched with a mix of fear and awe, Hayden shouted "Call the Council to get this guy swept up. I'm going after the rest of them!"

Dropping to the ground and instantly feeling much more confident and calm, he instantly began a sprint out towards the second hideout for the dark guild.

It was much more known that the casino in the town held some members, but it was while Hayden was tearing through the gambling establishment that he learned from one of the lackeys where their leader would run when under threat; magic council or otherwise. Only thing he didn't know was how to get in, something he hoped Fishbones could offer but with little choice but to wing it, Hayden ran through the streets to his destination.

He knew enough about Revolo to get a gist of his location at all times, and being able to see the casino most of the time helped even more. The stupidly obnoxious structure covered in bright lights and practically begging to be blown to bits did offer help in knowing how far he was from the ocean as well as the direction he was to head. A metal door hidden beneath a bridge on the west side of the town. With only so many bridges tucked away in a town like Revolo, there wasn't many wrong choices he could make.

"There he is! Get the bastard!"

Hayden turned his eyes up to the roof ahead of him, a pair of wizards from Ocean Mammoth waiting there with massive, arrogant smiles on their ugly faces. He skidded to a halt, and despite the annoyance in having to stop when he was so close to the hideout it did offer him something solid. "Wicker and Vestiel, right? Huh, didn't expect to see you two so soon."

"Damn right buddy boy-oy. Ain't no way-ay that you're getting close to the boss." the one named Wicker said, pointing right at Hayden with an even wider smirk.

"So I am going in the right direction afterall, Thanks for confirming that." Hayden replied, a comment that instantly made the smiles on both men fade. "I'm guessing you're gonna get in my way too? Fine, I'll kick your ass like I did Fishbones and all those goons in that stupid casino. Once I'm done with you, your leader is next."

"What do we do Wicker? Should we get more in here to fight him or do we take him on ourselves?" Vestiel asked, starting to appear a little flustered. Hayden couldn't help a chuckle in seeing it.

Even with Wicker getting anxious as well, he turned to his comrade and jabbed him in the chest. "Quit with the drama! We gotta get him stopped no matter what! Come on, the boy-oy may have gotten past Fishbones but now its two on one! You hear that boy-oy?! You're not getting past us!"

"Y-yeah! That's right!"

It was fun to see the two try to talk tough, but it was clear they were already doubting themselves. How they managed to survive so long as a guild, or even pose any form of threat to anyone with magic, was beyond him. Though knowing that even in the short time he'd been in town his presence was already enough to warrant that much of a defence of their master, it certainly was flattering in an amusing way.

Vestiel lept from the rooftop and landed with a thunderous boom, the ground cracking beneath his feet. He was a hefty man but the damage he caused was surprising despite his size. Flexing his claws, Hayden readied for the man's bull rush. "Gonna run you over kid! Juggernaut Buffalo!"

He was faster than Hayden anticipated, each footstep breaking up a chunk of the ground. Gritting his teeth and flexing his claws, Hayden stood his ground for the man. The impact ran straight down his palms and to his elbows, the force causing his own feet to sink into the ground and push him back a few feet, but no more.

"Seems your attempt to face me head on... isn't up to snuff." he taunted, clenching his fingers to sink the metal claws into Vestiel's armor, "My turn..."

With all his strength, Hayden lifted the surprisingly heavy man above his head for just a moment before slamming him down hard into the ground headfirst. Vestiel's head disappeared, leaving him propped up by his shoulders. He wasn't about to let Wicker know that the impact of the Juggernaut Buffalo had sent the shock up his arms, briefly making his muscles tense up. Even after disposing of Vestiel, his arms weren't at full movement, and Wicker was never known for patience. His arms slung to his sides, Hayden was prepared to dodge each attack until his arms worked again.

"Get ready for this, die you damn freak! Gatling Magma Cannon!" Wicker shrieked out, his hands flung out straight ahead of him. Creating a magical ring in the air, the dark mage laughed loudly as his confidence soared higher and higher.

At least until a foot collided with his face. "YAAAAAAAH! There you are you bastard! Running away from me like that!" Wicker's attacker shrieked, flames literally spewing from his mouth in anger. A woman and a blue cat ran up the street below him, and Hayden felt not just a moment of shock at this sudden attack from the stranger, but an odd sense that he knew who they were. They seemed so familiar...

"Natsu that isn't the same guy! The one that ran from you had a green hood!" the woman called, attracting her partner's attention. He seemed confused at first, grabbing Wicker's collar and lifting him. He inspected him for several seconds, his face dropping.

"Why didn't you tell me before I knocked his ass out Lucy?!"

"Now it's my fault?! You're the one that ran at him without even thinking about it!"

The two kept shouting at each other for a time, neither one backing down from their side of the argument. He couldn't stop staring at them in utter confusion, where did they come from? Who were they?

"Wait... Natsu? Lucy? No, it couldn't be..." he mumbled to himself, yet looking over the two it was almost impossible to say it wasn't them. A blonde haired girl with a chest that people didn't seem to stop talking about during the games, a blue cat with wings and the obnoxiously loud, pink haired kid with a passion for hitting things. "Uhh... are you guys Fairy Tail?"

The two stopped arguing and turned to face him, the blonde jumping at the sight of Hayden standing there with a man's head buried into the ground. "What? Where did you come from?!"

"I was who they were fighting before you showed up, actually. So... I was here the whole time?"

Natsu leapt down from the roof and slowly walked up to the much larger man, looking up to stare right into Hayden's eyes. Hayden stared right back, not backing down if Natsu hoped to intimidate him. The silence was deafening, and in the end it was Happy the cat who shattered it like glass. "Must be strong then huh?"

"Very." Hayden replied simply, his lips slowly curling into a smile, "Thanks for the help. Wasn't sure if I was going to get hit by him but you showed up at the right time surprisingly. Though... why are you lot from Fairy Tail here?"

"We have a job to get rid of Ocean Mammoth, a dark guild, though if they were attacking you like you said perhaps you already know them?"

"I have had my experience with them yes, only got here a few hours ago. I assume less for you lot, as you weren't at the casino when I trashed it looking for their guild master."

"That was you?!" Lucy cried out, jumping a step back. She was sweating instantly, a look of utter panic on her face. "That casino was practically falling apart at the foundations when we got there. Was a miracle it's still standing really..."

"I... uh, yeah. I kinda went a bit overboard with it." Hayden scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He had gone overboard, and there were innocent civilians inside using the casino's questionable machines that could have gotten hurt.

Natsu however looked a little bit amuse by that. "Sounds like you know how to have a good fight! How about you come with us? Sounds like you have some deep beef with them too."

"You sure that's a good idea Natsu...?"

"Why not? No harm in it Lucy, you worry too much."

Fighting alongside Fairy Tail? Not for one moment did he ever expect it to happen, but the words Natsu had spoken were there, real and sure. "Always wanted to see how I compared to you. I guess now's my chance."

Hayden and Natsu smirked, their eyes locked and a new rivalry formed. It was going to be fun for both of them, though Lucy and Happy couldn't help but feel anything but terrified.

"Why does this always happen to us...?" Lucy quietly said to herself, her head and arms dropping in defeat.


	2. Earth and Fire

**Author's Note: Thanks for the kind words in the first chapter, am happy to see that people are enjoying so far. Hopefully I continue to keep you all entertained as I work on each chapter! Please do leave a review (it goes a long way!) and I hope you all enjoy~!**

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"I think this is the place."

If the information was correct then they only had one more location to check, and sure enough it was the third bridge where they discovered the metal door, just as the goon from the casino had said. An emblem that had once been painted on the metal had long since scratched off, and as if hoping it would avert suspicion the door was rusted and old. Exactly a reason to both find it very likely, yet very unlikely, for it to be the way into the dark guild's hideout.

"You sure about that?" Natsu asked dubiously, his arms on his hips and his eyes screaming suspicion. Not that he could blame them, they did just happen to come across him with other members of Ocean Mammoth after all. Whether they did truly doubt him they never showed, a part of him relieved that they were at least giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Positive, was told that the entrance was underneath a bridge. Metal door, and this was the only one we found on this side of the town. So it's either this or bust." he replied, cautiously approaching the door. His fingers slipped into the metal bar that was bolted to the door and pulled, the sounds of jangling from chains on the other side was enough proof for him. "They're in there alright."

"So what exactly is your connection to Ocean Mammoth anyway? Seems a bit weird for someone to also be fighting them at the same time as us." Happy asked, flying in the air close by.

Gripping the door handle hard and pulling it open with a sudden strong jolt, he glanced back. "My friends."

"...Could you be a bit more specific there?" Natsu asked, an eyebrow quirked.

"My friends had been getting hassled by Ocean Mammoth for a while now, protection money and all that. They and I have been living close to the town for a few years, having chosen this place as they wanted to foster some kids, do some good for kids with no parents and also get ready to have kids of their own. I was away for a bit, doing some work to get some jewel to feed them all, and they came to the door demanding coin."

Natsu tensed up as Hayden talked, the thought of someone doing that to friends an act worthy of revenge. In his eyes Hayden was only doing what was right.

"When I came back, I saw that they'd threatened the kids and had hurt my friend Jayce, so I did what was natural. I came to town, and started wrecking shit up."

"I don't blame you. If someone did that to my friends from Fairy Tail, I'd show them a world of hurt."

"Not that you don't anyway..." Lucy mumbled, the memories flooding in of all the people that Natsu had beaten up for various levels of reasons. "Still, while I'm not too big on destroying things I do understand why you'd come to your friends help like that."

"Normally the two would be perfectly fine fighting them, Ocean Mammoth isn't exactly a strong guild, but when they have a bunch of kids hostage there's only so much a wizard can do. Anyway, we should keep going. Longer we just muck about around here, longer they have to prepare." Hayden said, flinging the door open. Inside all that was visible was a set of stairs leading down into the darkness, something that Lucy became much more visually concerned about. "Not that it matters when we have some Fairy Tail wizards helping a little bastard like me."

Sharing a little chuckle with Natsu, the four set off down the stairs at a slow, cautious pace. They weren't going to let them catch them off guard. Natsu even helped by coating a hand in flames, holding it in the air to light their way.

What Hayden found strange was that the light only travelled a small way, not going nearly far enough down the passageway to illuminate the bottom. A brief glance back up showed no entrance. Strange, he remembered they kept the door open. Things were strange, and as if attempting to at least ease the growing worry he dragged the metallic claws along the wall to leave behind a length of marks.

"So... tell us Hayden, are you part of a guild? Someone of your strength, considering the damage you've left behind, must be part of one. Which one? Skull Millione perhaps?"Lucy asked, trying to break the silence.

"None. Not in any, never bothered and never tried. Friends were though, used to be in Blue Pegasus until a few years back."

"But... you're a wizard right?"

"Correct."

"Bit strange but... I guess if guilds aren't to your liking we can't really say otherwise. Though, if you find yourself interested I'd say Fairy Tail would be interested in taking you in. Your strength, the way you went to protect your friends without a moment's thought... you'd fit right in."

Him in Fairy Tail? It was a pleasant thought for sure. He smiled over his shoulder at the woman and said nothing more, continuing to lead the way down the stairs.

Suddenly the flames lighting the passage revealed something old on the wall. Claw marks, the same claw marks he had made. Something was definitely going on. "Tell me, do you know anything about the members of Ocean Mammoth, or are you going into this as blind as I am?"

"Same as you I'm afraid, the mayor here didn't really disclose anything. According to their magic or members. Just that the guild master is a bit of a show off." Lucy replied, raising an eyebrow as Hayden suddenly stopped, "What is it?"

Lifting his foot and then bringing it down hard on a step, Hayden snatched up the chunk of rock and stuck it in his pocket. "Just an experiment. Come on, let's keep going."

Natsu and Lucy shared a curious look but followed all the same, Happy landing on the dragonslayer's shoulder to save energy and time. "He seems to know what he's doing huh?"

"Mhm, he seems very calculated in a lot of his approach." Lucy mumbled as the three hung back a little to speak a little quietly.

"Still, he's showing himself to be quite capable all the same. No sense thinking he's part of them if he's helping us." Natsu said, glancing over his shoulder.

"I know that! Just saying... we shouldn't put it out of the question is all. I don't want to think he is either, but... he seems to know a little too well what he's doing here."

"Oh Natsu, he's looking at us." Happy said, waving at the man who had turned to look at them.

"What's up Hayden?"

"Watch your step there."

"Watch my wh- whop..." Natsu tripped and fell, Hayden reaching out to grab him but was too slow, Natsu hurtling down the steps quickly with a loud cry echoing through the passage.

"...He's gone." Happy said after a moment with a strange tone of finality.

"...I did warn him, but still he'll be okay. Kind of." Hayden replied, turning back up the passage, "Ah, there he is."

Lucy and Happy both watched in confusion as Hayden outstretched his arm, and sure enough Natsu came rolling down the stairs from behind them and crashed right into the offered arm. "...Thanks." he groaned after a moment, his eyes rolling and his body clearly aching.

"How did you know he'd do that Hayden?" Lucy asked, unable to feel she could trust her own eyes. Had Natsu really fallen down those stairs or was it a trick? Both Hayden and Happy had seen it too.

After setting Natsu back down on his feet, Hayden gestured to the wall and then the stairs. The same claw marks as well as the portion of step he'd knocked away both existed even after several moments before they had walked by them. "Someone seems to have set a strong looping seal on these stairs, probably triggered it as soon as we got down here. So... only way to really deal with it is..."

He rapped his knuckles off one wall and then walked to the opposite wall and repeated it. He then turned, and ran in the short space they had available straight through the wall. The gasps of at least a dozen onlookers, not including Lucy who had jumped out of her skin, as the man broke the wall down and then disappeared as he fell down at least ten feet to the room below. He landed on the hard wooden table, sending glass mugs and booze hurtling in two different directions.

"...Ow, didn't expect the drop." he muttered as he slowly stood to his feet, shaking his head free of the rush he got from the fall.

"You alright Hayden?" Lucy called down, but he quietened her worry with a nod and a wave. Natsu, eager to get down there, jumped through the hole and landed beside the other man.

"The hell are you two doing in our guild hall! Wait... no, I thought we had more time. You two rotten thugs! You're the ones running rampant in my town!" a rather well groomed man shouted at the opposite end of the room, the other people in the room surrounding him like a protective barrier. Guild Master Orveld Skimsail, a self proclaimed pirate with none of the credentials. "You two alone have caused me enough trouble."

"You brought it on yourself asshole when you messed with my friends. Now, I guess we see how easily your pathetic guild is to break." Hayden smirked, plucking the small slab of stone from his pocket as he turned to Natsu, "So, who goes first? You or me?"

Natsu just smirked right back, his mouth releasing small licks of flame. "Me, make sure you're watching because I'm not gonna let many standing for you."

The members of Ocean Mammoth got restless, and in a rash move began advancing on the two.

Bending backwards, Natsu took in a hefty breath. One that caused his body and his neck to expand widely. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" he bellowed as he released a torrent of powerful fire from the air in front of his mouth. In an instant four Ocean Mammoth cronies were incinerated, collapsing to the floor charred and blackened.

"Not bad, my tu-"

"No, my turn! I've had to deal with walking around a lot and having you two talk up a storm like you're the only wizards here." Lucy huffed, being dropped down by Happy, "Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"

The loud sound of a doorbell rung through the air and in a flash of golden light, a large bullman appeared wielding a massive battleaxe.

"What the shit is that?!" Hayden said loudly, having never seen Lucy use her spirit magic during the games.

"I'm a Celestial spirit wizard, Hayden, and I can summon Celestial spirits with my keys. Not only that... Star Dress, Taurus Form!" she cried, pressing the end of the golden key to her chest. Her body produced the same golden light, and in an instant her clothes changed to that of a sexy cowgirl. She snapped the whip she held in her hands.

"Luuuuuuuuuuucy, your body looks amazing~!" Taurus, in his typical pervy voice, moo'ed as he wriggled at the sight of her.

"Shut your butt and get smashing! Earth Wave!" she snapped her whip to the floor, causing an earthquake towards the enemy guild. "Rampage!" Taurus shouted in unison with her, bringing his axe down to cause a similar quake, both combining to force seven of the remaining members out of the fight.

"She beat you Natsu!" Happy chirped in, and Natsu hissed at the idea his score was beaten already.

"My turn then, now... if you don't mind." Hayden grinned, guiding Lucy out of the way and tossing the slab of stair into the air. Catching the stone in his mouth, he shocked both of his companions as he started chewing the stone to pieces, crumbling it up and swallowing. "Might not be as big a roar as yours Natsu, but it should get the job done..."

"No way!" both Lucy and Happy cried out, knowing exactly what he intended. They'd seen it enough times with Natsu and Gajeel, and now this random guy they met a short time ago.

Hayden took in a deep breath, his lungs and neck expanding just as Natsu's had. "Earth Dragon's Roar!" he bellowed, a spiralling torrent of earth and stone erupting from the air in front of his wide open mouth. The powerful roar struck the remaining lackeys of Ocean Mammoth, sweeping a good five in one go and leaving only the guild master and what seemed to be his elite.

"You're a damn dragonslayer?! How long were you planning to keep that a secret?" Lucy asked, her arms flailing in all directions.

"I guess... now? You never asked what type of magic I use earlier." he said with a shrug, pounding his fist into his open hand, "Still, now's not the time for explaining. We got this lot left, though mind you... not expecting much of a challenge."

"First to the guild leader wins?" Natsu asked with a smirk, one that Hayden returned with a deep chuckle.

"Sounds good. Three... two... one... go!"

The so called elite fell like matchsticks in the wind, their magic paling in comparison to the combined forced of a pair of dragonslayers. Not able to overpower with his magic, they learned that Hayden's physical power far surpassed any attempt at their own. Natsu with his hands in flame and Hayden with is sealed within stone claws both blew away their competition, both rushing as fast they could to get to the master.

Earth and flame both filled the room, lashing out in every direction as the two rampaged. Both with massive, cheeky smiles on their faces.

"I won't go down so easy! You little bastards haven't yet seen the power of Ocean Mammoth! Buccaneer Barrage!" the master shouted, throwing his arms out ahead of him. Though the wild panic filled his eyes as the two dragonslayers got closer and closer, he still had the bravery to stand up against them. Dozens of magical circles appeared in the air around and in front of him, summoning a massive amount of cannons. "FIRE!"

Booms as loud as thunder rung through the air, magical cannonballs shot at Hayden and Natsu. For a brief moment, he believed his spell would be enough. What he didn't count on was for both Hayden and Natsu to smash right through. "Wait wait! We can talk this through!"

"Talking is over! I won't forgive you for what you did to my friends!" Hayden bellowed.

"Dragonslayer Secret Art!" both dragonslayers roared in unison, their bodies brimming with magical power.

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!"

"Obsidian Gate: Sundering Earth!"

An incredibly large orb of fire engulfed Natsu's body as he struck Orveld, incinerating him in an instant with the flame's fury. Right after the flames dissipated, Hayden's stone covered fist connected hard with Orveld's jaw, the force of which strong enough to rupture the ground around them and create a deep, dome-like fracture in the wall behind Orveld. Knocked out cold, the guild master of Ocean Mammoth fell to the ground with a quiet thump.

Taking a long, deep breath, Hayden looked over at the pink haired man and smirked "Let's call it a draw for now."

"Fine, fine. Next time you against me, we'll see who's best!" Natsu shook his fist with a confident grin.

Hayden nodded, reaching down to grab the overly flamboyant hat belonging to Orveld and place it on his own head. With trophy in tow, the group of four set off back up the stairs and quickly rushed out of the town. Escaping in time to see the Magic Council's banners on the bridge above them, the four took to the closest exit of the town they could and ran until both their laughter and their breath stopped.

Collapsing at the top of a hill overlooking Revolo, they all took a much needed break, apart from Happy who pulled out a fish from the little sack he wore across his back and began eating.

"I will admit, that was pretty damn fun. Didn't expect that from Fairy Tail folk, but then again I'm still going off info before the Grand Magic Games. Back when a lot of new guilds were getting the whole 'Better than Fairy Tail' bull. Seeing you in action was amazing."

"You were pretty good yourself. Surprised us a bit with that dragonslayer magic too!" Lucy replied, pressing her hand to her chest as her breathing slowed to normal, "That secret art of yours was strong too!"

He laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek lightly with his claws. "...I had to kind of dial it back a bit. Last time I used it on someone it caused a fault line."

"You call what you did dialling back?!"

"Better than risk causing some damage to the town, so... yeah. I do."

Natsu just laughed, fists pressed to his hips. "You really would make a great fit for Fairy Tail!"

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed, his fish half eaten.

"Yeah! Why not come back with us to Magnolia, I'm sure the master would be happy to bring you in." Lucy asked with a wide smile, to which both Natsu and Happy smiled with her, all of them beaming with a powerful aura of friendship.

It was a warm feeling, being wanted by such a powerful and incredible guild. They were great to be around, they felt like people he could trust just as they showed the trust in each other - even if Natsu and Lucy argued now and then. However, he had his friends and they needed him a lot more than Fairy Tail did. Hell, he still had to get back and let them know what happened! He knew damn well they'd love to hear that story.

"I appreciate the offer but... I'll have to decline. Joining Fairy Tail would be a great honor, but I have obligations to my friends first. I hope you understand." he said after a time, fixing the large hat on his head.

Lucy' briefly looked surprised though she quickly recomposed herself. "I can understand that. Still, if ever you change your mind the offer is always there. Fairy Tail would be happy to have you in our dysfunctional family."

"And don't forget, you still owe me a fight, so don't think I'll be letting you off easy!" Natsu laughed, raising his fist.

With a smile, Hayden turned and began down the dirt pathway. Lifting his hand and waving them a farewell, he made one last glance back. Natsu, Lucy and Happy all waved at him, the same sense of warmth as before still radiating from them.

He felt like he would see them again. He wasn't sure how, but he would, and Natsu would get that fight he desperately wanted. An event Hayden was looking forward to, however it came about.


End file.
